Why I Started Homenable: Making Technology Human Again
My Background & Experience
I spent 13 years working at Apple, covering all sorts of roles — from helping everyday customers choose their first iPhone to working with businesses on their technology needs. But the part of my job I loved the most wasn’t sales. It was training — both customers and colleagues — and seeing the lightbulb moments when something clicked.
Right at the start of my Apple career, my mum was diagnosed with macular degeneration. To support her, I learned everything I could about the accessibility features built into Apple devices. What began as a way to help my mum quickly became my calling at work, too. I became the “one-stop shop” for accessibility, running training sessions exclusively for customers with accessibility needs. Those sessions made my heart sing. Watching people who had once seen only limitations discover new possibilities through technology was incredible.
But there was another side. I grew increasingly frustrated by how often older people were left behind — “aged out” of technology. In fast-paced stores, when they asked for help, they were too often met with impatience or annoyance by younger staff. The same was true, if not worse, for people living with physical or cognitive impairments. Instead of being welcomed, they were often avoided, as if their needs were a problem rather than an opportunity to understand and support them.
And then there’s the issue of assistive technology. I want to be clear: the work charities do in the disability space is priceless, and the people dedicating their lives to this work deserve praise and investment. But the devices being sold to vulnerable people can be, frankly, a con.
I’ll never forget one couple I worked with — let’s call them Paul and Barbara. Paul had been a welder for 69 years before he was knocked from his bicycle by a reckless driver, leaving him paralysed from the neck down. He had been sold a bracket with a sensor to use with his iPad. He had to stick a red dot to his forehead to move a cursor around the screen. It was clunky, degrading, and it cost him £3,500.
When Paul and Barbara came to me, I showed them something different. Apple devices already had accessibility features built in — powerful, free, and designed to give independence back. Using only his voice and facial expressions, Paul was able to navigate his iPad, iPhone, and Mac more accurately and with more dignity than the expensive device ever allowed. After a walk-through and some practice, Paul, Barbara, and I were in tears. With a little bit of knowledge, patience, and care, Paul had access to the world again.
The Problem I Saw
When it comes to technology, I’ve seen the same problems play out again and again. For older people, natural cognitive changes can make it harder to absorb and retain new information. Learning takes patience and repetition — but the reality is that most places offering “support” don’t have the time to give. Staff are often stretched thin, with multiple people to serve, and the environment is usually busy and noisy. Hardly the best place to take on something that already feels daunting.
For disabled people, the challenge is different but just as frustrating. Too often, the people trying to help — whether they’re sales reps, charity volunteers, or even carers — simply don’t know enough about the accessibility features that already exist. It’s not that they don’t care; it’s that they’re juggling so many responsibilities, and specialist knowledge of assistive tech just isn’t there.
Then there’s the cost. Technology today is expensive, and because devices are treated as luxury goods, that price tag is even steeper. Add in inflation and rising living costs, and for many people these devices feel out of reach. Non-Apple products often make the situation worse: they don’t have the same built-in accessibility features, so people are sold additional equipment or software that can cost thousands just to do what an iPhone or iPad can already do out of the box.
Caregivers and even the NHS often don’t know what’s available either, which means people miss out on tools that could transform their independence. Group training sessions, when they’re offered, tend to be rushed and cookie-cutter. Everyone gets the same one-size-fits-all approach, questions are brushed over, and the clock dictates when it ends. I’ve seen people walk away more flustered than when they arrived, feeling even less confident.
All of this leaves too many people locked out of the digital world at the exact moment it’s moving faster than ever. Even those of us who live and breathe tech can struggle to keep up with the pace of change. So imagine being in your seventies, with a phone you’ve had for six or seven years, suddenly expected to navigate a device that has evolved far beyond what you remember. It’s overwhelming. And it makes me sad — because with the right support, it doesn’t have to be this way.
Why I Started Homenable
There was a moment in April 2020, right at the start of the Covid lockdowns, that planted the seed for Homenable. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about training. I had this idea about creating a smart home installation business. The spark came after a conversation with my friend Ian, who has been blind since birth. I called to check in on him and started thinking: how do people living independently manage daily things like answering the door safely, switching on lights, or playing music without compromise?
I thought I had a clever idea. But the truth is, my early version of Homenable just made me part of the problem — the products were expensive and out of reach, the very thing I was trying to fix. I had to laugh at myself. Still, the experience nudged me closer to where I am today.
Fast forward a little, and a school friend asked if I could help his grandmother with her tech. That’s when I met Rita — and everything clicked. Rita lives with multiple needs, including advanced macular degeneration, the same condition my mum has. It hit home immediately.
Getting to know Rita and her daily routine helped me shape sessions that really mattered to her. Small things made a huge difference: using her voice to send and listen to texts when she couldn’t see the screen; using her Echo speaker to talk to people at the door through her Ring doorbell; connecting her hearing aids to her iPad so she could enjoy Classic FM and phone calls again; enabling caller announce so her phone told her who was calling.
They sound simple, but for Rita they were life-changing. Today, she sends essay-length text messages instead of one-word replies. She listens to the things she loves. She feels safe opening her front door. And she still works with me, because technology keeps moving, and so do her needs. Rita is what I call “Client Zero,” and she’ll always be the reminder of why I do this.
What makes Homenable different from other tech support? It’s that I don’t see this as fixing gadgets. I see it as giving people independence they thought they’d lost. My focus is deeply personal — built on 13 years of experience at Apple, working directly in accessibility, serving thousands of people one-to-one, and backed up by my qualification as a certified adult training facilitator since 2012.
Homenable isn’t about one-size-fits-all answers. It’s about understanding you as an individual, what matters to you, and shaping each session around that. From the first spark of possibility to full confidence, I want every client to feel technology is on their side again.
My Approach Today
From the very first contact through to each session, my goal is simple: to listen to the human being in front of me with dignity and respect. Every client has their own needs, wants, and aspirations, and no two are ever the same.
I know that many people look at services like this and think, “That’s not for me, I’m not techy,” or dismiss themselves as a “luddite.” That kind of thinking can build nerves and anxiety before we’ve even started. That’s why my approach is always jargon-free, at your level, focused on what matters to you.
When I work with accessibility clients, I bring a lot of due diligence and care. Depending on someone’s needs, I encourage carers or family members to be present at the first session, both as support and as part of safeguarding. Many of the people I work with are vulnerable, and it’s important that everyone feels safe and comfortable.
I know I don’t look like the stereotypical “tech helper.” At 6’4”, bald, with a raging ginger beard, I might not be the image that comes to mind when you picture this kind of support. But I love the work I do. It’s a privilege to sit with people, build trust, and give them back confidence with the technology in their lives.
That’s what Homenable is all about: listening, understanding, and giving people the chance to thrive with their devices, on their own terms.
Ready to Start?
If you or a loved one feels left behind by technology — whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, or Mac — I’d love to help. Together, we can make your devices work for you, not against you.